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Banquet Speech

Max Theiler's speech at the Nobel Banquet in
Stockholm, December 10, 1951

Your Majesty, Your Royal Highnesses, Ladies
and Gentlemen.

To have been considered worthy of receiving the Nobel Prize - the
highest honor that any scientist can receive - gives me a feeling
of great personal satisfaction. Such tangible evidence that my
work has been considered of benefit to mankind is indeed very
gratifying.

Apart from these personal feelings, I am
glad that the Award has gone to someone working on yellow fever,
for the conquest of this disease has been one of the great epics
in medical history. It is barely fifty years ago that this
disease was shown to be transmitted by a mosquito - knowledge
gained by the use of human volunteers of whom several died.
Surely this was one of the most glorious and heroic episodes ever
recorded, but these deaths brought to an end further
investigations. However, by the application of the knowledge thus
gained, the devastating epidemics became a thing of the past, and
the control of this disease in cities where for ages it had been
prevalent, led the Rockefeller Foundation to undertake the
ambitious program of attempting to eradicate yellow fever from
the whole world. Just when it appeared that this program was
about to be crowned with success in the Americas, it was
discovered that yellow fever is primarily a disease of wild
animals in the jungles, and thus an eternal potential danger. Old
methods of control were inadequate and new ones had to be
found.

The modern phase of yellow fever research
commenced in 1928, when it was discovered that this disease could
be transmitted to laboratory animals. I have had the good fortune
to be associated with this great adventure since that time, and
it has been a thrilling experience. Like the early one, this
modern phase was not without danger, for many accidental
infections and several deaths occurred. In spite of these, the
work went on.

The study of yellow fever, in all its
aspects, under the auspices of the Rockefeller Foundation, has
been a magnificent example of international cooperation in which
important advances were made by representatives in many countries
on four continents. I like to feel that in honoring me you are
honoring all the workers in the laboratory, field, and jungle who
have contributed so much, often under conditions of hardship and
danger, to our understanding of this disease. I would also like
to feel that you are honoring the memory of those who gave their
lives in gaining knowledge which was of inestimable value. They
were truly martyrs of science, who died that others might live.
And, finally, I would like to feel that in honoring me you are
honoring the Rockefeller Foundation under whose auspices most of
the modern work on yellow fever has been done - a gesture from
one great foundation to another - both having the ideal of
benefiting mankind throughout the world. I thank you.

Prior to the speech, Einar Löfstedt,
member of the Royal Academy of Sciences, addressed the laureate:
"Dr. Theiler! You are one of those famous microbe hunters whose
life and work form such a fascinating chapter in the history of
medical science. It is a difficult calling, and a dangerous one.
Often it takes the form of an adventure, with life as the stake,
and more than one of your valiant predecessors has,
unfortunately, lost his stake. We therefore rejoice all the more
at your brilliant success. As a real benefactor of humanity you
have delivered millions of people from the dreaded scourge of
yellow fever, you have saved human lives to an almost
inconceivable extent, and we have been told that through the
admirable results achieved, you have also indicated a means to
combat - perhaps effectively - other dangerous and often fatal
diseases as well.

Science knows no difference of rank, nor
did Alfred Nobel. His only concern was to reward those who had
done most for the benefit of humanity. For that very reason I
think that you, in the long and imposing succession of laureates,
would have been especially dear to his warm, philanthropic heart.
You, more than most, have fought in the cause of life. We offer
you our heart-felt homage and good wishes. "